Does Everyone Need Private Lessons?
Private lessons are the most valuable time players can have on the court. They’re a privilege, and they’re expensive. All players benefit from private instruction, but taking lessons too frequently can be fiscally and developmentally wasteful.
Unless you are a new player with less than 18 months experience, you should only take private lessons if you have a very specific goal in mind. Private lessons are best when you want to focus on 1 or 2 skills for an extended length of time. Players at an intermediate level often take private lessons once per week or more as a means to improve in general. While coaches (including myself) are usually happy to oblige, I believe this is a slight abuse of the private lesson. In my opinion, players can attain the same overall results in a group clinic or traditional practice with a hitting partner.
For these types of players - which are the majority - structured group classes and matches are going to yield better results. Group classes will task players with hitting “real balls,” but they’ll have the added benefit of a coach on the court to correct technical or strategic mistakes. Matches, on the other hand, will force players to confront pressure and analyze their mistakes. By competing more in these environments, players can usually come up with specific items to work on in private lessons.
A simple guide to private lessons
Beginners should consider private lessons 1-2 times per week until they’ve built up the prerequisite skills to participate in semi-competitive group classes. At this point, 3-6 months typically, scale down to 1 per week or 2 per month while playing 2 times per week with a group.
Intermediate players should consider private lessons 1-2 times per month, opting for group classes or casual matches more frequently, at least 2 times per week.
Advanced players that are actively competing should consider private lessons 1-2 times per week to work on specific shots and skills. Other advanced players can skip private lessons for simple practice sessions and matches with another local player.
